Mayday Plays - Ashoka: Precious Cargo Ep. 6, "Strange Familiars"

Episode Date: April 10, 2021

Shipwrecked on the Island of Galen the team is abducted by an Odinao hunting party and a Genasi named Rein. They are taken before the Elders of the Colony where they must negotiate safe passage. This episode contains profanity, violence, and references to drug/alcohol use. CAST OF CHARACTERS • Aaron - Trig • Allegra - Xauti • Amanda - Snuvall • Caleb - Anchor • Eli - Dungeon Master • Zakiya - Kenny • Sergio - Rad MUSIC & SOUND EFFECTS • Post Sound Supervision: Sergio Crego, Allegra Shivers,Eli Hauschel • Mixed: Eli Hauschel • Original Music: Aaron A. Pabst • Soundstripe (soundstripe.com) MAYDAY ROLEPLAY LINKS • Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/maydayrp/) • Twitter (https://twitter.com/maydayroleplay7) • Mayday website (https://www.maydayroleplay.com/) • Patreon (patreon.com/maydayrp/) • Twitch (twitch.tv/maydayroleplay)

Ashoka Precious Cargo is a homebrew D&D campaign with violent themes and adult language. Viewer discretion is advised. Ah, loha kakou friends. Happy Friday. My name is Eli, and I am your dungeon master. I'm Aaron A. Papst, and I am Trig. I'm Alecra, and I'm playing Shodi. I'm Amanda, and I'm playing Snooval. I'm Caleb, and I'm Anchor. I'm Sergio, and I'm playing Rad the Sea Turtle.

I'm Zakiya, and I'm playing Kenny. Welcome back to Mayday Roleplay, and our continuation of Ashoka Precious Cargo. This is our midpoint episode, which means we'll be taking a brief hiatus from our story for the next month. But have no fear, we have some awesome things in store for you on our Twitch channel. Be sure to check Aaron out on Mondays with a sheep farm. Sergio leads us through Iron Sworn Eye of the Storm, and on Alternate Wednesdays we have Heroes You Should Know About with Leg. Our Fridays will be filled up with one-shots and some awesome,

fun content to keep you guys entertained while we are away. If you want to support us, please be sure to follow us on Patreon. Your subscriptions help us continue to make awesome content for you. And finally, Shipwrecked on an Island. It all feels like I'm running, and tired of fleeing. I've been doing it my entire life. It's time we stand tall and move forward as a crew for Buran. Prove to her that the people in charge of protecting her can do it,

and keep whatever wind spirits that came for her at bay. We need to stay strong in the face of our enemies, like Rad did, staring down that beast. Like Shoudy and Kenny held close to our child's body and refused to let her leave us. Like Snooval peers into the void and refuses to flinch, or Trig, well, Trig never knows how to back down to begin with, that's why I love him. I've committed Rad to memory in the tapestry. He's a part of me now, and the order's history, in a way that means he can never truly die. Thank you for your sacrifice, dear friend.

Let this be the last of these people to enter my story for any reason other than victory. I care for them too much. There is a question burning in my mind, though. When I lifted his helmet to see the eyes of the betrayer, I saw myself. What could this mean? Who is the one that would take the child? Maybe there are answers in this jungle that will soothe my mind and wood for another boat. We can only hope that whoever inhabits this place is friendly to us the next we see them. I have high hopes.

Okay. It's growing dark in the woods that you guys had kind of settled in. After you had found Rad on the shore, something drew you into the woods and as you guys went to investigate, a trap seemed to trigger and a alarm went off and sent Trigg running back to the safety of the shoreline and the rest followed to figure him out. But Rad, you stuck behind. Anchor had noticed this small little dancing light kind of wandering in the back of some of the forest a little bit further and you decided that there's something more to that.

So as everybody else piles out to find Trigg, you continue further into the woods. And as you do, you eventually come upon this fish human looking creature. You know that Odin Owens come in all sorts of kinds, including aquatic versions of this. This one kind of resembles something of a deep sea fish with this overwired underbite jaw and these giant like round black eyes that have like no pupils, no nothing into it. You can see like scattered starlight reflecting off those like giant black-orbed eyes that you have. This creature is holding like a spear kind of at you and eventually somewhere behind them,

another person emerges and you swear it kind of looks a lot like Baran with light blue skin and hair that looks a lot like a storm cloud that kind of just billows and kind of like sways back and forth. And she kind of approaches with a spear of her own in hand. While the other one looks very like serious that like ready to kind of like attack you if you're about to like do anything, she doesn't seem quite aggressive in her like disposition. The other the fish creature, the fish person says something to her in feral and she kind of just laughs and says something back to him before she looks at you.

And she says Anu here thinks you're bad luck, totals out at sea of bad luck. We're much better surfers than we are captains, I'll admit that. My friends and I, we don't need you any harm. We've been shipwrecked and we just want to find a way off your island. We don't want to interfere with anything you're up to. And Rad will note that one woman looks kind of like Baran but he's trying to play it as neutral as possible right now. And also Baran is technically still invisible under Kenny.

I think Kenny's got her on her back. My friends right now are trying to catch one of ours who let's just say that he surfs his own coves but I'm sure he'll be back shortly. And she kind of looks to the Anu who's standing next to her and I imagine she'll find my people. Who are you and when did you shipwrecked, when did you get here? My name is Rad and I go to like say my full name and I stop and I just say you can call me Rad. I'm with a group of folks, we're just trying to make our way out of the Rokewood.

We just crashed not more than a few hours ago I think, kind of lost track of time to be honest. Understandably so. She puts her spear down and she kind of extends her hand out to you and she's like I'm rain. Do you know what island you're on? I think I remember someone saying it was Galen. Galen, yeah Galen. Well, why don't we find your friends and get to the bottom of all of this.

I appreciate you helping us, sure let's do it. And I'll let them kind of lead the way, you know. She kind of gives a nod to Anu and she kind of just like darts into the forest and you guys head out. You were looking for Trig and you came up on some tracks of what looks to be where somebody had fallen and then something was, a body was dragged and as you guys were kind of investigating that four or five different people emerged from the forest. Spears in hand drawn and you immediately surrender.

You guys have been led off by this hunting party eventually to a smaller campsite about maybe 10 to 15 minutes away from where you guys initially were. And when you guys arrive, you notice your friend Trig. He's been tied up and he's got a bear just like with his big head just like rested on his chest. Hi everybody. You guys are let in. There's a small fire going and what seems to be just a small little campsite that has

been made. When you guys like enter, you see along with the bear a ferret looking Odinauan person. He's got like red ish fur, like this kind of thick collar that kind of goes around his neck and then just standard just leathers, armor and clothes. The rest of them are like a series of Odinauans that look like a badger, a fox, a seahorse and a boar and they all seem to wear similar like vestiges in terms of their leather and some of like the beadwork and beadwork and like bonework and stuff that they have kind of scattered amongst their like clothing and stuff.

They're all kind of like talking to each other in Feral. But you know that to be the language that the Odinauan people speak. If we were saying Feral was like, which is it associated with the languages themselves? Because I know Dwarvish and Primordial, neither of those are Feral, right? No, no. Feral is distinctly a language that came out of like the Odinauan people. So it's like their own indigenous language. They kind of like push you guys and like to sit down somewhere along in a line.

They kind of like take your guys as like sacks and bags and they start kind of rubbaging through your belongings. Trig, the crossbows, they take the crossbows. Damn it. The the ferret guy is kind of going through your bag, Trig, and he eventually kind of like pulls out one of your little porcelain figurines. He's kind of like, no, no, no, take the crossbows, take the crossbows, break the crossbows. He's kind of putting one down.

He's grabbing the next one in there. He's just kind of oogling at your collection. There's so many. There's at least seven. Trig, you like small things. Some small things. I don't know why I keep asking people. There's a bear on me now.

There's a bear on you. There's a bear on me. The bear kind of like snuggles in a little bit more. I think the bear likes you. I think it wants to eat me. I can't hear a thing you're saying. I don't know why I'm talking to you. I just wanted to check in on you, but I can't hear you.

So I think that's a bit useless of me. Why can't you hear me? I can't hear you. They're deaf. Why are they deaf? Don't know. Shoudy, why are you deaf? Shoudy's still looking at Trig.

Nothing. I tried. Well, regardless, I would very much like this bear off of me. Trig, you were mauled by a bear. This is exceptional. This is a story for an agent. I wasn't mauled. I was abducted.

Can't say many people get abducted by bears. That might be even more exciting. Kenny, as this is going on, someone's going through your little drawers in your belongings. Absolutely not. Absolutely not. We're supposed to be nice, but I'm going to try to hold as much as I can hold the door's closed.

You do, but he's still kind of rummaging. He eventually finds that one little card deck that you had procured in Tengu. And he kind of looks at it and just throws it at him. Pushing him. OK. He kind of like the badger guy kind of scampers off. Eli, quickly, is that alarm sound still going off?

It's going off, but you guys are far enough away from it. It's pretty in the distance at this point. So you're kind of fine now. You're kind of getting your bearings at this point. The seahorse odor now and eventually approaches you anchor and he kind of looks down. He's got like a kind of like a longer kind of nose. You can notice like the green scales kind of like flickering

against the light. And he finally speaks in common to you. And he asks, what is a group of Sasanian raiders doing on the coast of this island? You mean the Galleon? No, I mean you. I am no Sasanian. I promise you.

I may look otherwise, but I promise. And if he allows me, I'll take off the tapestry and I'll set it out in front of me. And I say, I'm as much a part of this land as anyone else. I assure you, I am part of the order of the ballast. This is my crew or not my crew. We are a crew, definitely not my crew. He's our captain.

Yeah, he's all right about that. Roll me a persuasion check. Natural 20 plus seven is a 27. Boom. Persevesive anchor. He kind of like furls his brow first at you, but then you lay out the tapestry in front of him. And he starts to kind of read it.

I think I'll bow my head in front of it, too. And whatever we can do, we are at your service. We're on a great mission given by your people, honestly. The Oden Owens. He looks very confused at you, as he kind of just continues to kind of read the tapestry. So I've heard of this order before, never seen it in real life.

Interesting that they would pick you. They used to continue down in looks at the tapestry. I get that a lot. But I assure you, I am as much a part of the order as every anchor that's come before me. And I promise I will do everything that they have done for this land. And what is this mission that you're on?

You kind of like keep scanning each person. I'm going to look at the rest of the group and see, hey, we cool with fucking revealing this shit? We're a foreign dignitaries. Who made a deception check? Sweet fucking hell. Yeah. I think anchors are already panic-sweating.

Yes. Of course. I roll a two, so it's a seven. No, no. Dignitaries, I see. And what are you doing then? What were you trying? Where were you going?

It's a top secret diplomatic mission. Trig, I beg you, please stop talking. All right. It's just hard. We are sent by the Oda now and people to protect precious cargo. All right. So you don't shit at this.

No, I was like getting like kind of like tilting her head at like stop talking. It is not your concern what we're here. We're just we're just trying to pass through. We run into an accident and that is all. Well, it is quite my concern. Your concern is to get us off the island. And I think in the interest of both parties,

we should do that. I don't have to do anything. I could leave you to the forest and whatever is out there. Frankly, the more you keep talking, the more I suspect that you might just be raiders passing through. Please. Thinking you could get through the Windspire Channel

untouched and unscathed. And what is this precious cargo you're carrying? Again, that is not your concern. Starting to feel like my concern. Precious cargo is the cards. They were won in a very high stakes competition. And I hope to transfer them to their preferred destination before the end of summer.

So you don't have to help us get off. Would you like to draw a card? No. No trick. Roll me a decision, yeah, Kenny. Roll with your swag, Craig. 21. Please, Kenny, it would only be fair to allow our new friends

a chance. Kenny is almost like crying. I suppose we don't have much of a choice now, do we? Go ahead and pull a card from the deck of cards that I possess. Please, now, please. Well, while all this is happening, Shodi is whipping their head back and forth,

definitely trying to keep track of where the conversation is and what's going on. They can't read lips. They're fully just confused and don't want to speak up because they're really afraid they're going to fuck something up, but they're trying. They're trying to keep track of where everyone is so bad. So I'd imagine we start heading into the woods

and ratting the friendly folk that he is would be like. So you dudes live on this island? Rain looks at him and is like, well, yes. Galen is the home to one of the largest Genasi colonies in the Rokewood. Oh, yeah, I remember hearing about that. So are you like the boss around here? Oh, fuck.

No, I'm not the boss. I'm just one of the members of the colony. I do some God work from some time from time. I serve a God and I help out my people wherever I can. Just had a feeling this morning, you know, I just woke up, had this desire to hunt, and I just never liked to hunt. Told me to come out here, out this side of the island.

Dude, you got some good energy. That's how I got this. I pointed my empty eye socket following those good vibes, you know? Anyway, what about like, are there other folks on this island that you get along with? Like does everyone get along here? Or are there like groups of people

we shouldn't be intermingling with? Yeah, I mean, there's no one to really fear. And so, I mean, the Oden Island tribes live out here as well as some in the jungle alongside us. There's the port city on the opposite side, on the eastern side of the island. Everything's good. There's nothing wrong.

All right, good. Well, hopefully this is quick and we're out of your hair soon. Is there any chance that I could, along with these guys, start working on trying to actually track my friends? Yeah, roll me a survival check. All right. I want to be a part of the insanity. I mean, a total of eight.

Total of eight. You guys are, you're being led into the forest. You can still kind of hear that blaring alarm. So it's hard to kind of hear anything, but eventually in like maybe 10 or 15 minutes, you can start to see kind of the glowing of like a campsite or camp flight as you and Rain continue to just kind of casually chat

with each other about the island a little bit. And so in general, I just get the vibe that there's like this colony of Genasi and they have this kind of loose commune and there's no kind of crazy weird political things going on in this island. It should be a pretty painless process. As far as Rain has said, that everything is copacetic.

Good. Back at the camp, Kenny, you grab the car that kind of, the car deck that was kind of casted aside as that one hunter was rummaging through your belongings and you kind of hold it out for the seahorse looking man to pull a card and he does. Everything goes wise. The universe ceases to exist.

Breaking news. Some assets make a bad choice and are surprised by the consequences of their actions. This seahorse is about to gain a kingdom right here. Yeah, that's what I hope. Because then, you know, he's gonna let us go. He draws a card and as he draws it, the card just, and as the card poofs in its place,

is this four-foot earthworm that has basking armor on its back and it just kind of like shakes itself off a little bit and it goes up to the seahorse guy kind of like stands like right next to him as if he is his friend. Oh, worm? So the seahorse guy is still there, but with a worm. Oh, worm?

He's basking the armor. So he's basking armor. It's like armor for animals. Steed, right? Yeah, it's like steed armor. Like it's a fucking night worm. Oh, that's the worm worm. Steed of mountains, I think.

Did we just create a horse for it? So it's not that big, but it's got armor attached to it. And it's kind of like spinning up. I think Anchor is just as confused as everyone else, but he goes, and now you understand why we had to protect these cards. Shodi's going to say, there's a worm. How did you?

Shodi, have you always had things that make worms? I didn't know we had worms. That's like the seahorse guy threw up. Kenny, this is fantastic. Are we talking? If you've got worms, we got to get some fire going right now. I just give Shodi a thumbs up. This is good.

This is all parts of the plan, yes? Rad, you hear just those sounds. It's a worm as you approach this campsite. I think I hear my friends. So in exchange for the help that we've now given you, can you perhaps give us a chance? Snoopal looks impressed. He looks very confused, but as you ask that question,

he looks up and he sees Rad and Rain and Anu approaching and everybody else kind of seems to kind of straighten up a little bit as they all enter into the camp. While they're doing that, Triggy starts patting the bear on the head and he's going to try to start soothing the bear into loosening its grasp on him so he can wriggle his way out. Roll me an animal handling check. This is what Trig trained his whole life for, 23.

You're just slowly eyeing this bear and you just kind of bring your hands up slowly around the sides of its face. And you just start to kind of just wiggle your fingers into its fur. That's a little bear. And then you kind of like, you can start to feel like he's like feeling it.

You kind of hear it like pop out of a scat as you kind of just like get deeper into it. Yeah, let them get those knots out. Yeah, you get to the top of his head. You're really digging in there. He's just, he's really about it. And then while I'm doing that, I'm just kind of like shuffling my way out from underneath the head.

Yeah. And I'm like, how am I tied up? Am I like, like, I'm tied or? You have like your hands or your wrists are like that. That way you can do the scratch. But yeah, your ankles are also tied. Where? Just look around the room. Do I see my crossbows hanging out anywhere? Yeah, you see them a little bit far away.

You're like your pack and your bows are kind of just like put in a pile with everybody else. I keep petting the bear, but I'm looking. I'm looking over at those crossbows and making them a little bit more there. OK, yeah, the bears really enjoying what you're doing. He's drilling a little bit, slobbering. Eventually the rain rat and the rest of the party joins this group

and kind of rain looks down at this little worm, crouches down and kind of like gives it a little poke. They all start to kind of briefly converse in in feral amongst each other before she turns around to the rest of you. Well, hey, I think I found the people that kind of run this place. We should be able to get out of here quick. Can you tell them to untie us, please?

Oh, I didn't realize you were tied up. Yeah, sure. I mean, I'll like I'll literally just start untieing them. No questions. That kind of everybody else starts to get a little tense. They kind of grab like grab out their weapons and rain just kind of. It's all good, I'm with rain. So it's all good, right? They shift their gaze to rain and rain kind of looks at them.

Law here mentions that you guys are transporting precious cargo, but fails to mention quite what it was as you kind of looks at each one of them. The cards, Brad, remember the cards that were transferring the war, the card, the card, the card. Worm cards. Kenny, are you like holding the cards? I'm still holding the cards. Yeah, yeah, exactly. The cards.

I mean, who's the worm, dude? We are trading the worm for safe passage out here. He's a gift that we plan to give to them. I'm going to step up to the guy who like the worm seems to be standing next to you. And you're like, you're very lucky, dude. These people just bestowed incredible honor on you. It doesn't have any eyes, but it looks like it like tilts its head. I can't understand you.

You can just hear the chinking of its armor just moving as a kind of. He's trying to fight back the thought of saying how delicious the one actually looks. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Shoddy, you've been sitting there just in silence, watching all this chaos just whipping their head back and forth desperately. Since you can't hear anything, I will make a perception check.

All right, all right, all right, all right, all right. Don't fuck me. Oh, my God. Won't you roll one? You're rolling out one. Oh, my God. You know what to do. I don't want to.

Twelve. I had a way to resolve this on the tip of my tongue. Yes, Shoddy, you've been just sitting in the silence for like a long time and it gets a little bit overwhelming as you're just seeing all of this kind of play out with with with with everybody around you and nothing and nothing seems to be resolved and stuff. And the more you kind of are just like sitting there at silence, the more you're just like thinking about Buran and like you don't even know

where where she is because she's invisible. And you decide to just you just kind of panic a little bit. And as you do that, that like little bit of like searing as that like mark on your arm kind of close a little as lightning just kind of spurts out from from around you. And as the lightning spurts out, as the lightning spurts out from her, I'm like, OK, it's good, but yeah, but lightning kind of just shoots out around your body and stuff like that, as much as you try to kind of contain it.

Kenny, is it shooting like horizontally out at us or vertically like Thor God of lightning bullshit? It's kind of like radiating out. I'm about to tell I'm about to tell you I'm going to tell you. Hold on one second. One of the one of the hunters who is nearby as well as I will say anchor and Kenny, you guys take 10 points of lightning damage, just being in the closest proximity to to a shoddy radiates this lightning bolts out.

As that happens trick. Hey, I'm going. Zephyrstrak means I can't take an attack of opportunity. By the way, the bear can't do shit. OK. You you use Zephyrstrak as you have managed to like loosen the bears like large grip on you with his head as you wiggle out. You use Zephyrstrak to jump over to your bags as you pull out one of your crossbows and you just start no, nobody move.

Don't don't do anything and while he's screaming, should he's all I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to really, really sorry. I really didn't want to hurt anyone. I'm really, really sorry. I'm so sorry. So as you can see, it's better if we leave quickly. I'm just going to bow my head and put my arms out like at the mercy of the fucking court like take me now.

Oh, my God. OK. Snooval's going to like literally get up and just tackle this guy to the ground to call him down. So you're just going to take him from the side? Just just go. He he needs just that he needs like a like a weighted blanket. And I've intended to just hold him. You should you should grab him by the ear.

Got a chunk on you. So Snooval's going to get up, kind of wrap around, grab him by the ear and hold him. You can do it. He's here, dude. That's it. Just to hold him, just to hold him. OK. All right.

I guess this is what's happening now. Yeah. And I think all that's happening, Randy's kind of got his hands like, whoa, whoa, everybody chill, chill vibes. Oh, dude, chill, chill. And I just, you know, talking. They do that sometimes. The shouty and just like start like gesturing my hands down, down. Everybody relaxed down.

The hunting party with Triggs Sutton outburst and the arming himself have they've all kind of taken up their bows and arrows and spears and it's starting to get just very tense. But eventually like rain rain this whole time, Rad, though you've been like waving your hands has just been surprisingly just very poised and calm and just looking at every single one of you. You haven't quite noticed because it's been kind of shrouded by like the cloak that she's kind of wearing,

but at her hip is just this large war hammer that she's kind of has. And she eventually brings it out and she kind of just raises it up above her head. And I need everybody to roll me a charisma saving throw. 19. I also got a 19. Ten. I rolled a five. Five. I rolled a I rolled a four.

OK. And ten. Ten. OK. No, this dice is going to die still today. I believe everybody but Rad and Trigg, all of a sudden you just kind of start to just feel this kind of sense of calm, just kind of rushing over you as rain just holds out her her hammer. And there's just like this is pulse of thunderous like sound that just kind of emits and rumbles and stuff like that.

And you see also the other members of the hunting party just kind of slowly dispersed into a level of calm as they kind of ease up as rain kind of just now walks into the middle of this fucking chaos and and says, now that's enough. We don't need to be doing all of this. Let's hear them out. Let's figure this out. We don't need to harm anybody if we don't have to. Right.

License to kill license to kill. Snowball takes her and covers his mouth. Please forgive the idiots. He hit his head very hard on the way in. And I'm going to forcibly move his head up and down like, yes. Like I said, rain, we're just all a couple of weary travelers trying to get out of your hair. That's all.

How long does invisibility last? Is it an hour? It only lasts an hour. So I mean, I think I would definitely be aware of that and trying to push as quickly as possible for us to move on. I probably point out like Kenny pointed out, we have this very powerful magic item that just bestowed this dude with a cool worm, dude.

We need to get on our way to get it to more capable hands. And where are you heading? I don't remember. Where are we heading guys? We're headed to the southern tip of a salway. Southern tip of a salway. You're heading south. Yes. And you're traveling with this magic item and nothing else.

We had a ship before, but no. How did you lose your ship? We were attacked by a was it your was it a galleon? That's correct. So it's on a Sassanian galleon flagged us down with flares. I gave chase because. I have a sore history with them and we ended up shipwrecked. And I ran into rocks the shore.

And the Sassanian galleon, where is that now? I'm not sure. We're some of us are magic users and. We have our ways. And what do you and you're wanting us to aid you in what exactly? Very little. If you could just, you know, point us in the direction of your nearest port from which we may purchase or barter for a vessel would be great.

She like looks around to the others. I think that can be possible. I mean, we won't be able to do that until tomorrow. Well, I wouldn't mind a rest, to be honest with you. I think I don't want to speak for everybody, but I think that a good night's rest would do us all that well. Well, I think I would offer myself up to all of you as a guard for the night. I understand we put you all out, caused an alarm.

I want to ensure that you understand we're here to assist if we can. OK. Well, I mean, this is our camp for the night. We won't be able to make it anywhere further until first light. So you're more than welcome to make yourself at home for the time being. Sounds good. All right. Sounds like a camp under the stars tonight, right, dudes? Absolutely.

I'm very excited. Seems to be. Kenny, you feel like a rustling and a rummaging from behind you on your back. She's going to, like, readjust, like, pick her up. And it's just going to look like, yeah, camping. So, like, Eli, how I cast it kind of once we were in the forest. It's last an hour or so. I think I would imagine I would be able to know how much I have left.

Yeah. So how much time do you think is probably left? 10 minutes, 15 minutes. I'd say 10 minutes. Yeah. OK. All right. I think Rad would just like help everyone make camp. But then, like, as soon as possible, kind of walk by Kenny and be like under my breath as best as possible. I've only got a few minutes. You should maybe, like, find a way to get alone and then I can join you and I can recast.

Oh, we can figure something out. Wait. Wait. In 10 minutes, she's going to be visible. Got it. OK. Thank you. So, um, all of you have. Don't make it an outfit. Just go, dude. OK, goodnight. And Kenny just goes into the water.

Where are you going? Nature party. Good night. Oh, do I catch this? Because I would go after Kenny really quick. Yeah, you. Do you let go of me? Oh, yes. Hi, Ortiz.

No, I'm not. You're going to drag her. All right. I got strength. I got strength. I'm going to make sure you can breathe. But I'm going to literally carry you like a big tube. Big ass to after Kenny. Like I'm holding a rug, but make sure like we're we're going after. Should we? OK, I think I would say

shoddy seeing those three is going to assume like, oh, this is where we're going. And they'll just like wave a big hand. We should as a family now. They don't know what's happening. They don't know we're going to shit. I said nature body. They can't. You know, they're deaf.

They're saying shoddy. Just to know what's going on. No clue. Shoddy's we all need to go to the bathroom at the exact same time. It feels like they don't want to be left alone, but they're like they're still trying to like. Be a little smaller than they usually are. And they like wave and.

Follow because they think that's where everyone's going. This is fine. OK, yeah, I mean, they all watch the four of you. Well, I certainly wouldn't just go in with them all. I would probably try to wait a minute and then try to speak out. OK, so you're going to you're going to try to stealth your way out? Yes. OK, we'll be a stealth check then, as ever. But the three of you are all going together.

Technically, it really doesn't matter because my stealth is terrible. And I wrote the four total. This is hilarious. All right. Yeah, I mean, I guess I don't know that I'm not being stealthy. That's what I'm doing. Edgar, Edgar, you doing anything you want in on this? I think I think I turned to our, you know, our new hosts and I say to them,

oh, I went before the shipwreck. We'll stay here. I'm eating the water. You want to get. Basically, the intention is now Rad is just going to find Kenny as quickly as possible and be like, the invisibility is about to drop. What do we do?

Do we just confess to these people or do we make her? I have one more spell slot. I can make her visible for another hour. We could just go to her in a bag. I don't know. It's very it's been a long day. OK, they're not. I mean, I think Shoudy is with us and who else? Everyone but me.

Everyone else. I'm playing distraction. Aaron's there, but his mouth is covered. They're not going to watch us sleep. So I mean, they might now that I'm going to do the the dad thing. And I'm going to ask these people to give me like a tour of their camp. And like, so can you show me around while they party? Look, maybe these people seem nice enough.

Maybe we just be honest with them and let them know as she looks kind of like Braum and maybe she'd be more willing to help us. You've already lied a lot. If we if they find out that we lied about having one of the people that they she's like them, if they find out, it's going to look like we kidnap the child. No, I wouldn't interpret it that way. None of our group has any real survival instincts. Of course, none of us would interpret it that way, but they're normal.

They're going to interpret it that way. I think we're look if we keep being deceptive, it's just going to bite us in the butt later. Let's just tell them what the truth. Brad, are you willing to put? Do you have a better idea? Leaving her in the forest is not an option. Right.

We lie a little bit longer. Brad, are you willing to put not only the child's life, but our lives on the line for that? No, I don't want to put anyone's life. And that is why we're not bringing the child up. Our mission is to take her home. We don't know these people. All right.

So what do we do next? Snowball, run me a pen. Oh, finally. Do, do, do, do, do, do, do. Twenty one. And she have disadvantage because she's distracted by my. No, no, no, I need you to see things as you guys are having this argument and conversing and then and Trig has been wiggling.

I mean, Trig, if you want to get out, you can try to wiggle your way out. No, I'm not going to play along. He's actually quite comfortable. As you as you're having this conversation and Trig is just like kind of like struggling under you, you kind of like you see something just briefly jump up along the treeline and you you see what looks to be like a ring tailed bleemer, just kind of like staring in the branches and stuff like that.

When you kind of go and like project a little bit of your sense onto him, you notice that it doesn't have like any like essence of life to it. It's made of like an energy of some kind, like a like a fairy energy, but it's not alive. But it's looking at you guys having this argument. And as you guys are continuing to have this argument, eventually that that spell kind of wears off and inside the sack

that Kenny's holding, bronze little head pops up. She's just kind of looking at all of you guys with a little smile on her face. She sees she sees Shoney to kind of like reaches out wanting to be picked up automatically. If she were just for me, I think. Well, there it goes. I just love I am going to drop Trig, but just FYI at that point. OK, anchor.

So I've tied up and I've been tied up for a while. So I imagine my legs have kind of fallen asleep. So when I hit the ground, I just kind of flop face first into the into the dirt. I'm a little down on a little too loud. Looks like Shoney's already made the decision for us. And I'll just start helping Trig up like propping him up like a like a body. Can I be on time now? I'm fine.

Fine. Do that. But I don't feel comfortable leaving the child, bringing it to the camp. Should we just stay out here all night? Well, I think we I think we either run right now or we kill all of these people in the next five minutes either way. Look, by now, I have a feeling we probably already know. Let's just tell them what's up.

I mean. Everybody is one of this girl. Why the fuck would we go telling her? Well, why the fuck would we go telling anyone about her? Because there's no way that we're going to survive this gigantic voyage if we distrust everybody. We've got to try at some point to get some help. We don't have a ship.

We don't have any allies. I mean, hell, the patron, my patron tried to kill me. I mean, we have no friends. We got to figure out some way to get this girl safe. That sounds like an option. That sounds that sounds like an argument for cutting in favor of the next port, if you ask me, either. Can I sense if he was bullshitting or if he was being authentic with that?

Who, Rad? Yeah, Rad. Yeah, I think it would be easy. Yeah, you can sign him. But yeah, you get a general sense that he's he's shooting straight about it. Fine. Fine. Fine. You win. You win. All right, if you.

Kenny, you're the closest one with sense that. What are your thoughts? I think no one has gotten any sleep. And if we are, if you're wrong about these people being allies, they decide to kick our ass through the night. We don't really have. I don't have enough spells to keep all of you alive. I would rather we just literally lie and and just get sleep.

And tomorrow we can tell all the truth that we want. I like the way that you've rigged these traps. It's very efficient. Yeah, yeah, you were like standing there, asking somebody about like giving a tour of the campsite. And you guys were just just you didn't even move from the camp like anywhere. You guys just stood there and you kind of just went around. Was like, that's a log to sit on.

So campfire. Have you all been here often? Like, how long have you been in these parts of the woods? We have a like a establishment somewhere in the forest. This is just one of the hunting routes on the on the southwest side. I see. What's the purpose of the establishment? Are you merchants or or farmers, maybe? We're just we're just a tribe of of Odin Owens

who've kind of returned to natural order of things and live out in the forest in peace. We work alongside the Genasi colony. And the Genasi colony. How many Genasi are there in the colony, you would say? There are hundreds in this colony. I believe that Galen has the largest Genasi colony in the in the Rokewood. Is it all elements or any one in particular?

I know, typically, they like to stay together. The colonies of most all elements and stuff like that. I mean, typically, it's always earth, wind and air Genasi's fire Genasi's tend to seek the more civilized and more structured areas and stuff like that. They find more favor in that. But what is home to everyone and anyone that makes sense? Yeah. As you guys are talking and stuff like that, one of the the bad,

the Badger Odin Owen is talking to Rainy kind of like walks over to her and like whisper something in her ear, and they kind of like look out towards the the woods in the direction of where everybody went. Oh, boy. Guys, if I'm right, I'm right. If I'm wrong, I'll distract them long enough for you to run. I'll sacrifice my life. If I'm right, I'll stay up all night tonight and do watch and make sure

that nobody messes with us one way or another. I just don't think it's going to hurt us. We're out of options. I've only got one hour left of save, save, save your, save your energy. You make sense. Oh, fine. Just if the slightest instant we're out, do you understand? I agree, totally.

I've got an alternative option. We can survive in the jungle for weeks. Why don't we just cut right now and survive 15 minutes? I do it all the time. What are you talking about? I think we just. Run. I'm right next to her.

So you're not. Invisibility, no, I'm not using my last spell slot and making her invisible. I'm just going to walk back in and even if even if Kenny doesn't come with us and keeps the kid in the jungle, Brad is just going to start blabbing. I'm coming with. I'm grabbing Shodi's hand and guiding them out of the forest. Although Kenny feels a little I don't know how hot it is outside, but Kenny is significantly warmer.

That's that's all I'll say about that. Yeah, I mean, it is summer, so it's it's a little bit cooler now that like dusk is kind of settling in and a night's coming in. But yeah, it's warm. She just. She just shakes her head. It's fine. Noval is going to be coming up last more definitely, like, very defensive

and kind of keeping her eyes on all the exits. OK, can I approach rain real quick before they they come back here? Sure. Your name was rain, correct? I had a question for you about the calling. South of here, do you know of any sages or historians there that would know much about your people? I mean, well, yeah, we have elders.

They're the ones who kind of lead the tribe. Would they be protective over information about your history, especially to someone who looks like me? That potentially depends what are you looking for? I'm just searching for answers that are associated with our mission. And I was wondering if maybe I could talk to someone in the colony. That could potentially be arranged. I see.

Why the interest in Janassi? I think we should wait for a few minutes to see if we can get there. I think we should wait for my group before we discuss anything further. As you guys are having that conversation, Rad eventually pops out of the woods, followed by a snowball and trig. And then Shodi and and Kenny and little little baron on Shodi's. You like a quick question. Did they take?

Did I ever I imagine I didn't get any of my other stuff back? No, no, no, no. I mean, I would say you still would have the crossbow. Is a one one. Yeah. But so when we get back into the room, I'm not going to say shit. All of everybody else do the talking. But I'm be lining straight for my stuff and I'm taking what's fucking mine. OK, yeah, sure.

And I'll make it visually apparent to everybody in the room that I got these crossbows and I know how to fucking use them. All right. I think with his little fanfare as possible, just kind of come out of the woods knowing that Baran is going to end up right behind him. Rad is just in his most rad way possible, going to recap the last, you know, however many days it's been since we've left Tengu at all. He's going to explain that we are in a mission to bring this girl

to a hallway and she has shown extraordinary powers and that we only lie because we we fear we've been chased and we've been harassed by so many forces that we just don't know who to trust. But we are desperate and we have no excuse. We have no reason, no way anymore to lie to you. We are simply coming to you as in desperate in desperation to to try to help this girl when you first initially come through the woods

and seeing little Baran and Baran is just like happy to see everybody. She kind of does that thing where she like waves at everybody. Just like a joke. And like Rain was having that conversation with anchor and when she sees Baran and she kind of looks back at anchor. I give her a look that says, well, the cat's out of the bag very wearingly. But the hunting party gets very defensive of seeing

that you guys are in possession of a small Genasi child and even Rain herself gets a little defensive by it, even with your explanation. And as you explain it a little bit further, Rain kind of just takes it in for a second and she eventually just kind of looks at all of you. The tension she had alleviates for a little bit. And she just kind of shakes her head and she's like, no, this is this is good. This is good. This is a good thing. I don't think you need to go any further than here,

but I think you've done your mission in bringing Baran to some type of relative safety. You misunderstand. We're taking that girl off of this island and there is no question to that. The reason we're so adamant about it, dude, is because you haven't seen who's chasing us. We have an ancient dragon turtle that ate an entire Sissy in Warvessel. We have a man wearing armor who's like really freaky and powerful. We've got the literal wind trying to steal her out of her arms. We're worried that the trouble this girl's bringing, it might blow Gailan over.

It might be too much for her, for you. We think we need to take her to this place of Solway. It's it's the only place I think that she'll be safe and that we'll all be safe. We don't think we know. We've been mandated to take this girl to Asaway, and that's exactly what we're going to do. And not anybody else is going to stop us. But if we're being honest, it's not just Asaway. We're taking her to the birthplace of the elves, the hidden island.

I mean, who commissioned this mission? Who told you to take this girl there to some random island? My mother. OK, maybe tensions are high. Maybe we should all take a deep breath. Put a hand on her hammer. Listen. The elders of Tengu et al.

told us specifically they bound me in service through my order. And the rest of us, we were all told, this is our mission. And I'm sorry, you know who I am. You've seen the tapestry. I think you're aware of what that means. You know that I couldn't let this girl go, even if I tried. You'll you'll offer is very gracious. But like they said, the child's with us.

And we will see that she gets to where she needs to. I'm sorry, but quite frankly, I don't think it's up to you. Even if the Leukemans were to commission this job, she's a Janasi child and she belongs with her people in a colony. Exactly. And that's what we're doing. You seem to misunderstand our position. No, I think you quite misunderstand my position. Our people deserve to live in their own freedoms, and she belongs with us.

Too long have we allowed the people of Odinau and the kingdom of Sasan to dictate what Janasi people can do. All right, you can go. OK, we're using some harsh language here, but I think emotions are getting in the way. Rain, I know he's offensive, but you haven't seen what we've seen. Dude, please listen to us. We're not trying to keep her away from other Janasi. The girl, she she has powers, things that things that aren't going to.

You have to believe us, dude. We're not trying to keep her from anything. She's she's not just Janasi. She's important to this world at a whole. It's important that we deliver this mission to the only place where she can be safe. It's it's no longer up to you guys. I have to take you to the council, the elders, and they can decide whether or not you continue this mission or not.

But before anyone speaks, Rad's like. Look, we'll talk to the council in the meantime. Rain, can we at least rest tonight in peace if we promise not to do anything? I think that's fair and we'll speak to your council tomorrow. Sure, I think that's trig. Come on, dude, let's just chill and tomorrow we'll talk to the people who can actually make who we can convince. This council, would you call them a sort of?

Government, the elders are the leaders of our people of this island, the elders are the leaders of our people. Yes, wonderful. I think if they see that tensions are high and people are starting to get like up in each other's face, they can't really hear them, but they can they can see like physical reactions. I think they're going to try and stealth their way back into the forest. Not not out of sight, not out of sight.

Go ahead, take me out of sight like of their own. I shot but like out of sight of everyone in the camp, like trying to take Ron a little bit further away from the safety. I'm trying to I'm trying to cover for Shadi and I'll turn. I'll turn to the lady and I'll say, take me right to him. Come on, take me right to him. I dare you. I'm trying to do it pretty sneakily, like so that like no one. Yeah, you can call me a stealth check.

Oh, dirty 20 with Trigg being pretty aggro and kind of kind of drawing the attention of everybody else. Shodi, you kind of quietly just kind of slink down low and slip away back into the woods. Yeah, I'll probably like press up my back up against the tree and sit around in my lap and kind and like just tell her like. I would probably tell her like my personal history, but try and frame it as like a story of like.

Adventure and like and it's not like it's not they're trying to like, you know, use the memory of whispering what whispering sound feels like and trying to keep it down, but trying to distract her and like not let her get. Upset or loud or like, you know, like like kids do, they're just trying to like attend. She's listening. Yeah, she's listening to you. She's kind of got it like she's like playing with her like fingers.

She's kind of like putting it in between interlocking them and stuff like that. I'll probably like give her some seeds I have to and just like let her play with it. She takes it and yeah, you guys are sitting kind of on the edge of the forest. That's it. That's I wanted to get her out of there. And but that's probably. We have. But rain just a rain of grease. We can rest in at first light.

We can make our way inland to the elders and we can talk this over. Perfect. I think this will be good for us. I think we'll learn something that we need to continue our mission. If you weren't being genuine, we've run, you know that, dude. So N'Val's going to go up to Raj's shoulder and like kind of put her hand on her shoulder and be like, can I have a word when you're done?

And then kind of just lean back. Yeah, sure, sure, dude. Yeah. One second. I'll go with some of all to the side. Looks like where it looks like it's in the clear, right? This should help talk to the elders. Your plan is going south, right?

Do me a favor. Just we're both going to keep watch tonight. And if you need to, you need to create. You use your last of your energy. And just if you need to like cause a major distraction, do so. I think you trying something is going to definitely send things south. I didn't say we would only if they only if they try to take the child.

How's that? That's what I'm getting. I think that's fair. That's fair. But when I said in the forest, I I've been thinking about it since I've been dead. We have to get friends. We need allies. We're not going to make it thousands of miles

if we don't start trusting some people. Please stop saying that word. OK, I was. Dead, just do not. Now, I was going to take a second like it's really getting angry. She's going to take it back and she'd be like, you just keep watch. All right. And at the very first second of danger, you let us know.

And I know we knew friends. That's right. But we need the right ones and not ones that could possibly take Baron from us. Is that understood? I'm sorry I made you mad at the beach when I came back. It's it's it's. You just got to understand it begins practically everything I know.

Do you understand what the undead do? No. No. I was not going to just going to wrap it up and just take a step back and be like, no, we're done. No, no, I'm about two seconds away from literally sending you back. I'm just going to step away. I'm happy to see you again.

And I'll head back to camp. Yeah, you show. Do you going to stay out? I don't know anything that's happening. So I'm probably just going to keep her with me in the woods until either we both fall asleep or someone finds us. Because I I didn't like how the tensions were rising and I don't want her to be in a fight.

So I'm just talking to her about Talia and Tariq and all of the like neat things that I saw when I was working on ships and like like not really like making still making it a story like I did last time. Trig and Rad as the everybody's starting to settle in for the camp, the hunting party is like putting to rest, bears settling up near the close to the fire and kind of just plops down and just kind of snorts out a loud puff of air and just kind of starts to snore. Eventually, you kind of notice that Shodi and Moran aren't around

and you two go looking for them and eventually find them on the outskirts of the woods, kind of like huddled together because it's starting to get a little bit cooler in the night, but Shodi's just talking. I snap to see if I can just. I'm going to snap across Shodi's head, Shodi's head to see if they can hear. I if I if I can like see it or hear it, I'll probably try and grab his wrist. Yeah, you like. All right, still can hear. I mean, I'll try.

I'll be I'm not trying to be like a like a dick or anything. But when we when we find her, I'll tap her on the shoulder and try the, you know, motion her back today. Sorry, them. I'll try the motion to mom back to wherever this we're going to camp for the night. Rad actually has an idea. He's going to use his last spell slot and cast Dispel Magic on Shodi and see if it has any effect.

Can you hear me now? Yeah, you you cross down to Shodi and you kind of like put like like two fingers on either side of the like head and then you cast Dispel Magic and then Shodi eventually like it just starts with like a ringing that eventually just starts to like open up as you kind of just now hear the sounds of like the forest and the jungle. Oh, right. Can you hear me now?

Yes, thank you so much. Good to have you back. What? What in the hell's happening? I have no. Doesn't matter. We need an exit strategy. I very carefully and and as well as Rad can't explain to Shodi what is transpired. So they want to keep her here because she's like them.

But we're supposed to take her somewhere else. Yeah, so I'm hoping that tomorrow we can talk to the elders and convince them. We've got to prove to them that the forces coming up against us are too great to keep us here. Exactly, just. Drake is just shaking his head. I completely agree. I also think the sages may know something we don't about this hidden island. Who's to say we know everything?

We should be able to learn. It's called Algeron. Yes, we we should learn everything we can about it. Well, for God's sake, what the fuck is going to happen when we go in and talk to these people? I can't imagine that they're going to take any different tack than these people. They're just going to keep her here. Then what? Wait, then I got to kill a dozen people.

Is that what you want? Hold on, Trig, Trig, Trig, I just got my hearing back. I can't hear this much this fast right now. But have you thought about the fact that she's got the soul render as part of her as well? Yes. Did you mention anything about that? Not yet. Or did you just?

I forgot that's what it's called. Yeah, I wanted to keep that for the elders. I don't want them getting the wrong idea before we're speaking with someone who knows better. Yeah, like you said, maybe they know something about it. Exactly. We don't even know what this thing could do or why that person on the docks was after it. Maybe that will give us some intelligence about our enemy. Trig, to answer your question, and like Rad Ferry obviously speaks a little bit lower

so that just the group hears, if they don't let us go, then we use our powers after a long rest to get out of there. So then what? I mean, who knows how many fucking people we're going to have to kill on our way out of there? I'm fine taking a few lives here and there, but come on, I don't want to cause a fucking massacre here. I don't think you have to cause a massacre. Let's just get out as fast as we can. We don't have a ship and this is their island. We're not. There's no way we're getting out of this island without.

We could steal a boat. Worst case. Worst case. Trig. I think we should appeal to them as the heroes that we are. We were given this job for a reason. Heroes. Yes, heroes.

What else would you call us? We've been given. Fools. Hired hands. Well, then maybe we should give the child off then. If you don't have confidence in yourself as the team. I have confidence in you as the team. Well, you're part of the team.

Yeah. That's not what I meant. That's not... We're in this all together and we need to stand as a united front and say we are the ones taking the child. If they cannot stand by that, if they cannot abide, then we will make them. I also fear that we don't know anything about Algernon. We don't? And the people there. And the people there are going to be worse.

They're going to try and use her for... Something. And we don't know that and we could be taking her right into their hands. Then we will make that decision when we make it to the Hidden Island. But we have to look at this one step at a time. Guys, I don't mean to be like preachy or anything, but... When I was dead, I realized that it was good to stand up for myself. I was happy that I was dead.

I faced this giant asshole that's made my tribe miserable for generations. So now that I'm back, I have nothing left but to do the right thing. Because I'm not beholden to anyone. Well, I don't think we need to be afraid anymore is what I'm saying. We're on the right side of things. How do we know? We can't be sure. We can never be sure, dude.

Exactly. We have to go with what we think is right. And we continue to think that Peron is the most right thing about this situation. And we do right by her. And we try and do the mission we were given. And right now that is to get her to the Hidden Island and trust that smarter people know more than us. We're a tool currently. And we have to be okay with that.

For the time being. And if we decide differently, we decide differently because that's who we are. We decide what happens in the end. But for now... I've never seen people in power who would want to make a right decision for a young girl like this. Why would we take them in front of these people? They can't want anything good for her. I mean, come on, they're calling her the fucking solar render for God's sake.

When in the world have you ever heard someone wanted to do something good with that? Trig, I love you. They're so much bigger than we think. They don't... the Janasi people don't know she's a solar render. Just we do. And if we tell them that, that might change things and that might make it harder for us to get out of here. But if we don't tell them that, they just think she's a Janasi child that we're taking away from people like her and... And they're gonna be okay with that? They're not going to be okay with that.

And there's no right answer here and I hate it. I'd rather go back to not hearing anything. Alright, well, when y'all want to make a reasonable decision, you come and find me. In the meantime, I'm gonna go secure us away off with this rock and I just turn around and walk away. Okay Trig, we'll let you know. I'm just walking into the woods. I'm going to shoulder check him and cast guidance. Just please. Don't die until I wake up.

I'll give her a thumbs up. Okay. I'll make sure Anchor and Rad here, because I don't know if she already stepped away, but I'll be like... One of us stay, watch. Two pairs of eyes at all times. She's not going anywhere. I'm gonna go sit nearby and just go into a very deep meditation for the next couple of hours. Okay. Wake me up for a watch if you want to. We need you at strength too.

Understood. And then I'll curl up and tuck Veron like under my arm. Alright, you guys return to the campsite with the exception of Trig Trig, what are you doing for a wrap up this evening? I'm looking for two things. I'm looking for people that I deem to be normal folk, and I am looking to see if I see any boats docked on the shore. Okay. We'll make a survival check. Oh, shit.

Please no bears. Please no bears. Please no bears. There's a bear in these woods. Natural 20. Nice. For a total of 25. Nice. Jesus Christ. Yeah, you use storm off into the jungle.

Steaming about everybody's decision to stick around with the other party. Eventually you find your way back to shore, and you just continue to kind of walk that shoreline, walk the coast, trying to check out the rest of the island, kind of taking in what you can given that a stark. But eventually, yeah, you stumble on what looks to be a small little fishing vessel docked off a little bit off shore. There's like a small light. Like it's off the shore. Yeah, it's like there's like a bay area that you're at along the coast and stuff like that. It's pretty calm, so they're just kind of anchored in that little bay.

And you see a little light on inside. This is like the scene where Frankenstein finds that blind man in the cabin. Well, I am stealing no boat from an honest and honest working fisherman, so I keep walking. Yeah, you keep walking for a while, and that seems to be the only boat you've come across of as the night continues. Do I find any people? I mean, you notice that there was some, there might have been a person on that boat. But other than that, there was nobody on this coast. This side of the island seems to be more uninhabited, more jungle, which makes sense given the fact that this is kind of facing the outside of the border island.

So less people would want to inhabit this part of the island. But yeah, you go for a few miles and don't find anybody else. In that case, I will stay up all night and I'll start building our after. I'll take a point of exhaustion. The rest of you in the campsite eventually slowly get your rest in. There is a member of the of the party of the party along with rain who kind of also stays up and as you both kind of keep watch on each other. So do you curl up with baron near the fire and stuff like that and you guys fall asleep and eventually you'll switch out with anchor or rad to take the tail end of that watch as you go to sleep. Anchor as you eventually get some rest.

You eventually kind of fall into a little bit of a dream and you find yourself standing on a Sasanian galleon ship and you're dressed in the typical naval regalia that you used to wear as as a younger man. And as you kind of are like at the helm kind of looking out at the deck and you just kind of look at like you just see like the rows of every single member of that crew kind of like neatly wrote standing in rows and kind of looking at you. And you're just looking into the face of all of these Sasanian who are who are you at one point joined the Navy for whatever reason, whether they believed in what they were doing was right or not. Whatever their story would be, they're here on the ship doing what needs to be done. And as you're looking out at them and they're looking out at you, eventually you hear that that rumble that you heard in the ocean with the raft as you were traveling away the Galen that that familiar rumbling underneath the boat as you finally see that breaching jaw of the dragon girl just kind of around you see the fear in the eyes of all of these men and this crew and stuff like that as the jaw kind of snaps clothes around you and everything goes dark. You eventually wake up. It's early morning, about six-ish. The light is starting to kind of make its way up as dawn is on the rise. But it wakes you in a startle. And as you were like waking up, you do notice that like rain's kind of sitting across like the dying fire and just kind of casually just keeping some type of watch and then notices you.

You OK? I'm fine. Just bad dreams since this mission started. What is it telling you? I think I'm moving to put on my head wrap as I'm responding to her and I say, I think it's telling me that I've got a lot of things I haven't worked out in my life. But what else can a dream tell you? Tell you a lot of things. It can reveal to you what you need. What I need? What you regret depends on what it is. Depends on how you feel about it afterwards.

Not anything good. What are you going to do about it? I think I'm going to keep doing the right thing for as many times until I stop dreaming this way. It's an admirable thing to do. Everybody else can slowly, you know, starting to stir as light as the hunting party is getting ready and putting out like the fire, kicking dirt into the thing and saddling up. Trig, where are you still on the coast? So I had a question. Are these lines running through the island? Are those rivers? Yes.

Can we say that I saw the river and was trying to build the raft near, at least if not in the river, near an inlet of the river? Yeah, I would say that walking around the coast, there's trees and stuff like that along that river going inland and you're just building a tiny raft. When Dawn strikes, I'll cover up the raft with, you know, brush or whatever I can find and then with a stick, all right, in the dirt I've placed over the raft to hide it. The word's plain. And then I'll walk back to find everybody else. Yeah, you do that. You get all the shrubbery you can. You cover this little raft you made. You spend all night making with like, you got dark circles over your eyes. Your hands are like calloused and like just thrown up from pulling foliage all night. But yeah, you eventually come back to the camp as everybody's starting this, the saddle up.

Right as Varan wakes up, I'm going to take the wolf with six eyes and a crude smile mask out of my backpack from when we were on Tengu at all. And I'm going to put it on Varan's face over the tattoos around her eyes and the stone in her forehead. And I'm just going to crouch and say, we're going to be wolf today. Would you like to be wolf today for a little bit? She kind of like laughs and smiles and you kind of slide this mask over her face. It's a little oversized for her. So she's got to just look it around. I'll try and like tie it back as best I can. And then I'll let her wander. It slips a little and stuff, but it's more or less stays on. Rad, it's mostly to hide though.

Have you noticed this mask? I don't think I'd say anything yet. Probably once we get going. I think like once we're actually walking, I probably join up alongside them and say to Shoddy, I think I'm trying out some new things to cover my eye socket and I turn to them and I have like a flower in my eye socket. What do you think? Oh, that's lovely. I don't know how long to stay. Flowers wilt quite quickly. Well, I mean, that's what's nice. I can always put a new one in there. That's true. Oh, you could have a new one everywhere we go.

Say, couldn't help but notice Varan's mask. What is that? I don't know. When we were on Tengu at the festival, they were handing masks out and they handed me that one. And I just kept it and I thought if we're going to see people and we don't know their true intentions and we don't exactly want them to know she's the sole render, we'd have something to hide it for now. It's a good idea. I wish I thought of it. Well, you don't have a mask, so it wouldn't have come to you. I just was looking through my bag last night and I remembered. It's just funny, I guess. I mean, I've had a dream of that face.

Of the wolf? It's got six eyes, right? Six eyes and a creepy smile. I remember that from my dream. It was the last dream I had before you guys found me at the beach. Oh. I think it's called limos. Limos? Do you know what it is?

No, but he offered me a chance of righting all the wrongs before I died, so that's why I'm here. Can't be all that bad, right? Probably not. After today, do you want the mask? You can have it after we've figured things out one way or another. Maybe nice to keep it close to you. Let me think about it. You don't have to take it. I'll think about that.

Or if it makes you uncomfortable, I can just put it in my backpack after we're done. I'm still a little undecided on whether I like the outcome of that dream, but... That's fair. We'll work later back. I'm sorry I was a bit rude to you, Otter. I deserved it. I did kind of betray everybody. That did happen. That didn't feel great. I don't like lying, but I am glad you're not dead. That was terrible to watch. I'm sorry we couldn't help.

Shoudy, you're good at being honest. I think if we're just honest with these elders, we'll get what we need from them. I hope you're right. I hope so, too. I don't want to fight our way out of here, but... If we have to. If we have to. You know, I got your back. I got your back, too.

Rain and the Hunting Party lead you guys further into the woods, and eventually you guys reach part of the river that kind of makes a small embankment. There are like canoes that you all board and you guys start going upriver. You guys go upriver for maybe about an hour, maybe two hours. Eventually the treeline starts to kind of canopy over the river, and you're just kind of blanketed, and this is like these soft green tones that kind of even like cool you from the bit of sun that you guys had to like be under for a while. Moving further in, you eventually start seeing these huts that kind of protrude over the edges of the river,

and like you see stilts that are kind of like in the actual embankment. You just start to pass through these rows of just homes and hut, and as you guys pass through and look up, you just see just an eclectic spread of different people in shades of blues and light whites and grays and earth tones. I'm just kind of peering at like looking out windows and kind of noticing the party moving through. You can kind of start seeing people gather. Eventually you guys find like a little docking area, and you guys climb up some steps to the actual top part where all the houses and stuff are,

and you are now in what appears to be a genasi colony of some kind, as you just see rows of different genasi people ranging from earth to air and water and even some fire. While we're walking, can I grab a regular person by the arm and ask them a question? Sure. What constitutes a regular person? Someone that I think is a regular person. You see some guy kind of... The average person.

You see him some what looks like a water genasi who's kind of like winding some like fishing line, bundling it up and stuff like that against the river, and you kind of like abruptly grab him and he kind of just like pulls his arm away from you as he looks you up and down. Hey, how do they treat you here? He kind of gives you like a very confused look as he begins to speak awkward to you. Great. Never mind. I continue on your way, sir. Trig, I speak awkward. What did he say?

What did he say to you? He asked what his problem was. In awkward, I say to him, he's just trying to find out if the dudes in charge treat you well. And he asks you, you mean the elders of the tribe? I nod with a smile. I mean, he just begins to tell you that, you know, they're highly esteemed leaders. They're some of the oldest members of the tribe, and they seek to look out for the greater well-being of all genasi,

even those who do not come from this island. Highly esteemed, really old. They look out for everybody is what he said. Fair enough. He's going. Can I grab Trig before we go into like the council chambers? Yeah. I'm going to, I mean, I've probably got Baran by one hand, and I'm going to just grab him by the other hand.

Trig, can I, can I make a request? What's your request? Can I request that you try your very best to stay very calm? I know, I know you want the best for everyone, and we want the best for everyone, and I think they might want the best for everyone. And sometimes your big, strong, sweet heart comes off a little volatile. And at many, many times, that is so helpful.

That keeps us alive. That kept us alive in Tengu. But right here, I think that might be the opposite of helpful. Well, someone said that they lack them, and you can't shoot people that people lack, so... Okay, I just wanted to make sure. I have many, many people I don't like that you can shoot. There are so many of them. But right now, let's just, can we have a code word?

If I say the code word, can we, can we have that be like the sign to kick it off, to like just go ham, just go fucking crazy? What's, what's the code word? The code word is, um... What's a word that I wouldn't say in regular conversation? Um... Fizzfudget. Fizzfudget, I like it.

Fizzfudget. It's very specific, rolls right off the tongue. I thought so. I'll be listening for it. Okay. Thank you, Trig. I'm very proud of you and to know you and to be your friend, and I know you're trying your best,

and I think we're all trying our best. So... Great, thank you. And I'll squeeze his hand and then I'll fall everyone back. I'll clap him on the back and I'll walk behind the rest of the group a couple of times. The Odenau and Hunting Party and Rain kind of, they just say their goodbyes as the party jumps into their canoes

and continue on their way. Rain eventually will lead you guys to what appears to be this large kind of small like open hall room. It's just like a hut and just like pillars on the other side. It's open-air. And what you can see to be the like a sitting area where at the, at that sitting area, Jesus, is sitting as three older genocies.

They appear to be one of earth, of air, and of wind. The earth genocie is quite large. Looks like made of stone with like dark gray skin. He's got a large underbite. That just looks like a piece of like rock and boulder. And he's just wearing simple robage. The other one is a water genocie is a woman with like long black hair. She looks to be just like, like she just jumped out of the water

and just like with like even like bits of dew just kind of dripping from her skin. And the the last is a very pointed looking air genocie with like kind of more spikier hair than what you've seen of like boron and rain who kind of have more of like a cloud like texture to her hair. And they all just sit there. They look older than most of the genocies you've seen. And they look at you and rain approaches and kind of gives a greeting to them and then turns around and she says, everyone,

this is the Council of Elders of the Galen Colony. I'm going to pick boron up as soon as we're in that room. Like she's in my arms and close. I don't think I should be the one that talks guys. I think I set down the tapestry in front of me and I do the same sort of Neil I did back in Tango et al. I say, my name is anchor of the order of the ballast. This is a crew I am a part of.

And we have been sent here on a great mission and we seek passage through your community as well as your guidance, your knowledge. The air genocie speaks up and says something and rain begins to translate. She asks, what do you need of the Council? What are you asking for? What is your mission?

I look to the rest of the group because I'm going to drop some real truth here. And then I look back to them and I say, we have been sent to deliver a piece of the soul render to the lost island south of Asaue. And we seek to know anything you know of such a great and powerful energy. And we hope physically you can assist us with transportation, a boat of some kind.

We were recently shipwrecked. We see the Council look at each other and they kind of whisper to each other. Again, the air genocie speaks up and says something that rain translates. And this soul render you mentioned, you are in possession of it. Yes.

Can I see it? We have it here with us. Can we see it? This involves going to step forward and be like, ideally, no. It's just more for your protection. Will the persuasion check? I don't know why I did that shit.

That's stupid. Hell yeah, hell yeah. Okay, I got a four. Oh no. I think Rad would probably get the feeling that this is not ideal or an ideal way to start. I think he'd probably just look at Xiaodi and just kind of give a face of like,

let's just do it. Yeah. Did they say anything after Suval? They asked again if they could see the soul render. I'm going to obviously relent and look towards Rad and just give a nod of approval. I'm going to go follow along with what he's going to do. I'll sigh and just take the mask off,

hand it to Rad, and take like two steps forward with her. I'm not going to get into arm's reach of anyone, but just so it's pretty obvious that she is where the soul render is. Okay, so you're presenting, you're presenting Baran to the elders? Yeah.

She's got a bit of it in her, and we are to take her to Alstom. As you kind of like present Baran and you say that to them, and you can hear rain kind of in the background trying to translate this out, the Air Genasi woman stands up from where she's sitting and she kind of approaches you.

She's very, like you can tell now that she's got like a lot of wrinkles, she's very old. And like even like you can tell that she was probably much taller at a younger age. She's kind of a little bit more kind of hunched over, but she's very thin and spindly. She kind of like reaches out a hand to Baran, and she's speaking to Baran in,

like a grandmother kind of would be like coddling over like a small child, and she kind of like looks over the small tattoos you can see in the matted stone in the center of her forehead. And you can kind of tell that like the expression on her face is kind of both like is more like a mixture of like happiness to kind of see just such a small child

and just kind of a modiging on her. Rain pops up and says that it's been a while since we've had an Air Genasi child in the colony. She didn't think that we would see anyone anytime soon in her lifetime. And she starts to mutter things and Rain says, I think they might be able to tell you a little bit more about the soul render.

The Air Elder gives that look of if she could take Baran very like gently, like a grandmother trying to ask for a grandchild kind of way. Like she's giving you a wrinkly smile. Very calm. Shodi's going to defer to what Baran wants. Baran like sits there for a second and molds it over and reaches out towards the woman.

You're going to let her go. I'll let her hold her hand, but I'm going to hold on to her. Unless she's like actively trying to get into the other woman's arm, I'm probably going to hold her and let her just like hold the other woman's hand. Yeah, she kind of like takes her hand and stuff like that.

Baran leans in more towards wanting to go to her. Yo, Baran's stepping out on us. She's a baby. No one can talk to her with us. Oh, fuck, I'll let it happen. Okay. It'll be okay, Shodi. This is a sign of respect.

Shodi is like physically like obviously very uncomfortable and very upset about this. But letting it happen. Trig is running fire and calculus. You're mulling that over. The Elder kind of takes her and kind of shoulders her and stuff like that. And they continue to kind of just gently kind of conversing

with her as they're talking. I'm probably going to hover. Yeah, you kind of like move forward and stuff like that. There are guards that are kind of around the Elders and they seem to step a little closer as you kind of are hovering, but they don't do anything. Eventually the other two Elders begin to kind of speak up and those who speak awkward can kind of pick up

on the Water Elders' words. But they say that what we know of the Soul Render is, yes, an energy source of some kind. It absorbs and takes in energy and takes it. Oh, we remember at one point in our lives and our history and that the Soul Render was quite a dangerous weapon to have. I mean, the energy that it acclimates comes from one source and one source only and that is the Soul of people.

It harnesses that energy and it uses it and it can be used outwards as something quite devastating. But as far as I know that it was destroyed and its fragments scattered across the continent. Well, there's one. Now, is Buran the Soul Render or was Buran subjugated to a piece of the Soul Render? Are they one in the same or two halves?

That I'm not sure. I've never seen it diffused to a person before or what we remember of it or what we've heard of it. It's just a relic and object. But I mean, it's been essentially lost to time. It's generations since this has been even uttered words. And you said it runs on souls? Like every soul in the world is inside of her?

No, it draws in souls to be used as energy. So if I died around Buran, I'd get sucked into her? Possibly. You could even be well alive and the Soul Render can take the soul. From what has been mentioned of it, it could be taken into towns and decimate entire areas of the very powerful object. So it has a force, a way of hurting people?

In the wrong hands, yes. That must be what happened on the boat in the Channel when we were fighting those wind spirits. She took one of them. Does the Soul Render always take the form of a kid or a person? It's the rock, isn't it? It's not the person, it's the rock in her forehead. She nods at that.

Can we take it out of her? That I do not know. I mean, again, I've never seen it or it's never been heard of being fused with another person. I mean, she's such a small child. I can't even begin to understand how it happened. What would happen? Or how it happened.

Is the Soul Render like a mythological thing that shows up all the time? Has it been here before and been used before? There was a time long, long ago. It's hard to say if it was before the cracking or after the cracking that this thing was used. It was made. There was Texas about it, its existence.

And there have been many who have come to seek and sought it throughout the Rokewood. Even men who have come here to search for it and to find parts of these fragments, but to no avail. Do you know of these people who search for the Soul Render? I mean, any man who comes to know about it can seek it if they want to,

but there's been one particular nation interested in it. What's that? It's the Sonians. Who do you think it is? Am I right? Is it the Sonians? They're not. Who else would it be?

For what they'll use it for, I cannot fathom, but... Nothing good. Let's say we get to Algernon. What do you know of the people? Are they powerful enough to know how to maybe help the run and separate her from the Soul Render? The elders look at each other,

and they said they were not familiar with the place you intend to go. I mean, up until this point, we didn't even know the Soul Render still existed. Will you... It's... Will you help us... Will you help us get the child out of here

so we can get someone to help her? The council looks at each other, and the water elder looks at you, Snavol, and... While I understand the mission that you're attempting to ride, you must understand that it is quite difficult to just let one of our own go

in the way that you're asking us, especially one as small as this one. I'm gonna straight up interrupt everyone and just say, then don't send us alone. Send a group of your most trusted warriors with us. We need all the help we can get. And if we find out that the best thing to do

is to bring her back, that's what we'll do. You said it yourself. She is very powerful. Do you want all these people, all these civilians near her? Rad, roll me a persuasion check. Thank God.

Get it, Rad. Come on, Rad. I'm not proficient, but, you know, I rule the five. I mean, I think we've had a great argument. I'll give you advantage with Snavol piping up, so I'll give you a... Fair enough, fair enough.

Much better. 19. Oh, that is... Much better. Much better. I did it with teamwork. Power of friendship. The council looks at you and they nod.

They keep looking at each other for a moment and they're just... We're happy to wait here if you want to deliberate. We don't have time though, Rad. We have to get her there before summer's end. They're not wrong. And I mean no disrespect, but if the Sasanians are after her,

they're brutal at the best of times. I don't think that waiting is going to change anything. I know this must be very difficult for you since she is the first child you've seen, but getting her to safety should be your priority, yes? Rad, they nod. Yeah. And we're the ones who can get her there.

The reason you've never heard of it is because we don't even know if it's there. That's the point of it, I believe. It's a home of the elves in this part of the world and it's not visible for most of the year. It's visible only until the end of summer for right now, as far as I understand. I'm saying this like I know what I'm talking about.

I only barely have a very, very minor grasp on what's going on. But I do know... Why though? If she's going to be protected from the Sasanians, an island that may or may not exist is probably the best place for her to be. With great respect to your colony,

we have been pursued at every step of this journey and we were only just put on it. We are Aron's best chance at getting to this lost island. And with your assistance, I can see us making it, but I cannot see it here. With great respect, Aron needs us as much as we need her. Rainpipes as the heir elder kind of speaks,

as she's been kind of talking to Aron this whole time, as you guys have been talking. The elder says that Aron has mentioned that you guys have taken great care of her this whole time. She says nothing bad about you all. So it seems genuine. I think I speak for all of us when I say we care about her a great deal.

And the only one that's best for her. There is no one left at Tango at all. We only do this for her at this point. The council would like just a moment of privately to discuss this, if you don't mind. I'm going to reach out and try and take Baron back from the Air Genasi Council member. She does.

Baron kind of reaches out for you and she lets you take her. We'll be back. Don't worry. Just a moment. That's fine. Yeah. How many guards do I see in the room?

Oh no. There's at least six. Good to know. At least six or six. From what you can see, there are six. I see six. Rain... I want to approach Rad really quick.

And I'll just be very quick, very short pat on the shoulder and be like, you did a very good job. And then just kind of walk away a little bit but head towards the stand near Kenny. Rad doesn't understand why Stu Wallow always tries to get the last word. So he's just going to walk after her. Call her out.

Thanks, but we kind of all did it together. Good job, everyone. I'm going to like ruffle Trig's hair as we walk outside because I'm bigger than him. You're doing a really good job. I can tell this is really hard for you. Trig turns. Trig turns to you and you can see his face is bright red

and it looks like he's biting down on his tongue really hard. If I throw something in the air, do you want to shoot it? Not here. I can't start or I won't be able to start. Here, okay, I've got something for you. Would you like a treat? I've got a treat if you'd like it. I'll give it a shot.

What is it? And I pull out that same taffy again and I'll rip it in half and I'll give half to Braun and half to him. Trig takes it and he just puts it in his mouth and he just starts chewing as hard as he can and there's a vein popping out the side of his head. Thank you so much.

I know this is really hard. I know I'm very impressed with how hard you're trying. Thank you very much. I don't know how much longer I can do this. I know you can. I'm so, I'm so proud. Braun like takes a piece of her taffy and like points it up at you, Shodi.

Did she give me back some? Shodi gets real emotional and like takes it out of Braun's hand and eats it. Very good. Thank you for sharing. That's so kind of you. I'm very proud of everyone for doing their best today. Kenny, I feel like we didn't give you a chance to speak.

But I felt your support there and I'm very thankful for that. I know. I was honestly too terrified to say anything, but... We all trust you would have been with us. It was a great, we did good. I'm glad that went out. Are you sure you don't want to ask them to sign the contract or nothing? It's not like I don't have one prepared.

I just don't think they would... I would sort of need them. What's the standard contract in this situation? I assume we moved out of the council chambers. You're in a small little open courtyard area just kind of waiting around, standing. I think at the prospect of talking business, Kenny instantly relaxes and starts going on about

what depends on what they decide to provide. We're not really trading on anything, but if we were to trade any sort of like human power or like manpower or protection or ship, then we go like this and she starts pulling out contracts and showing trade. Well, I think that definitely went better than our first round of negotiations with these people. I would agree with that.

Although I didn't hear the first one, so I can't really tell, but tensions got high and I was very uncomfortable. It did not go so well. There was a bare mauling involved. We tried to inform you. Is that the same guy that was sitting on there? I apologize, bare abduction. It is quite a lot to catch up on, looking back on that.

There was a lot. I'm very sorry I missed it. I'm sorry. Next time, next time. I think we learned a lot of valuable things here about Baran's nature. I think so. I think if we could remove this stone safely,

it would be magnificent to be able to give Baran a normal life if that's what she wants. Freedom. That would be cool. I don't know how likely it is we can figure that out, but nonetheless, if we can just keep moving south. Exactly. Exactly.

We got here first. And they liked us. They liked us. We sounded like... I wouldn't go that far. They didn't hate us. I think that's the best we can hope for on most occasions. I think they liked us just fine.

They're allowing us to keep the child right now. I'd say we're far ahead of what we expected. They're not the worst group that we've ever come across. You all are not a trustworthy lot, are you? You're not quick to trust. Absolutely not. I'm starting to see that about you all. I find that you just...

So accepting of everybody is almost not to be... Please understand, I'm not trying to insult you. It just feels very naive in a way. Have I steered you wrong yet, Snuvall? No. That's quite a good point. No, you'll know exactly when I do not trust someone. Like the Navy.

That's true, we did know very quickly. Like the Navy. You guys are standing out there for a while, starting to get a little uncomfortable as time is passing on. It's like, are they going to make a decision? Rain does finally return. Rain looks you all over and she kind of gives you that look that like... Come on.

Let's go. Oh man. Back in the... Back in there. I say this time we let Trig do the talking. Freaking raft's still there. It's still there. Cut to the...

I like to think the bear and the weasel have taken it already. That's a stinger. Trig has a nemesis now. The bear is going to come back in Acts 3. You guys get taken back before the Council of Elders. And they all three look at you and Rain kind of stands off to the side. They look at you over once again and the Air Genasi begins to speak and Rain again begins to translate and she says,

We've heard you and your position and we understand the nature of your mission and the importance of completing that mission. And as much as we desire to keep our own safe and protected, we cannot deny that what you have said about the dangers that come with protecting this particular child is evident. Our deepest problem though is as we look at all of you. We are not indifferent to the strife we can feel amongst you all, both internally and amongst each other.

And that is the biggest concern we have. Forgive me, I'm kind of confused as to why our interpersonal dynamic is a concern. Without each other, how are you ever intend to accomplish anything? A colony is only strong as the willingness of its community to work with each other, regardless of how they feel. I, speaking from experience, have died for these people and I do it again to be honest with you. I think today has made us closer than we've ever been, to be honest. Roaming of Versace and check.

Oh God, again, me 18. The council, the elders here are willing to extend you what you need to complete your mission. And you will have the support of the Genasi colony. We are willing to provide you with ship and supplies as well as safe passage to your next part of your destination. We cannot risk Genasi lives to continue this expedition, but we can at least get you safely to your next point. We are so gracious in what you've offered to us, and we cannot thank you enough for assisting in this,

and we can all promise the safest of voyages for Baran. She will be safe with us. Are they telling the truth? I'm sorry. Is that it? Is that it? You can inside check them. I will.

You're looking at these old elders and they do seem quite genuine in their position. They're very poised and they're very like stern about it. They're not, you know, there's no indication that they're being deceitful. They do have an air of worry and concern about it, about the decision that they're making to follow through on this end. But they seem genuine that what they're offering is going to be given and extended to you. I think I can speak for all of us when I say, despite our personal strife, as you called it,

or anything tension between us, the one definite thing that we all feel is we want her safe. And I may not know them very well, but I believe that is everyone's end goal. And that's what I believe in more than anything else with this group of people. I know that can't assuage all of your worries, but I hope knowing that will give you a bit of confidence in us. They know they accept your words and adding on to what Rad had said and the rest of you. The question is, are you guys intending to leave immediately?

Or Council is willing to extend you a night here at the colony to rest again? Or they can begin the process of resupplying you and you can head out by the end of day? I think I speak for everyone when I say where is rested as we need to be. If we can leave by the end of the day, it would be most gracious. I agree. Time is a pretty important case, so we do want to keep it moving. The rest of the day is spent with the various members of the colony preparing a boat for you. I'm sorry, Eli, one quick thing. On our way out, can I be the last one to leave the room? And when Rad is about to walk out the door, I turn around over my shoulder and I say,

Y'all need to be more careful who you let in your front door. And I let a crossbow bolt drop out of my holster and I just let it sink into the ground as I walk out. Okay, cool, cool, cool, cool. You do that! The rest of the day is spent with members of the Genasi colony as they prep a boat for you. It's another Odenau and Wayfaring canoe, a little bit smaller than the raft that you had. But enough for you all to kind of fit on it. They also prep two other vessels that seem to be also will be accompanying you,

at least to this remaining leg of your journey. And as you guys are kind of finally getting ready, trigger will be a perception check. Oh boy. Now the secret police are after me. That's a 17. Yeah, you're tying up some lines and stuff like that getting ready and as you turn around, you just see the face of that bear up in your grill. You kind of like snorts at you.

Wait, he's like in my face? Yeah, you turn around and there's like a bear. I swung up into the ocean. Bear doesn't pursue you and stuff like that. When you like pop out of the water, you just hear like laughing and that ferret Odenau and it's kind of like he's small enough to kind of sit up on the bear and he's just like laughing like loud as fuck. When this is over, I'm coming back for you.

I think that during this setup, anchor is walking around with the Genasi that are helping us with the boat and everything. And he's just telling them everything that's wrong with this new boat. It's like, oh, your ropes aren't tight enough here. Let me fix that. And he's going around. He's trying to make the oars work for himself the whole time. He's like, I'm going to have to work a lot on this, but I appreciate the concerns.

I can take it from here. I think you ought to just go back to your boat. I mean, you're saying that to them, but none of them understand you. Yeah. Yeah. I think he's trying everything like he's untying scales. Yeah. And he definitely, he goes over to the gust stone, whatever they already have put in it.

And he takes the one from the raft and places it in the boat. So the soul of the boat is still the same. There was no slot. There was nothing slotted in there. So when you slotted in, you now have a gust stone. While we're doing all of this, can I ask Rain if they have any paint that I can take? Because my hair is once again stark white after our dip in the ocean. I don't have any paint.

So I'm going to ask Rain if they have any more. Is there just some paint you can spare? Just a bit. She kind of looks at you and she's like, sorry. I don't. I don't have any paint. That's all right. I'm sorry.

I appreciate all your help. Of course. Well, I mean, you know, you haven't gotten rid of me quite yet. I'll be on one of the ships. I'll be joining you guys down the way until we get you off where you need to go. Oh. Fantastic. You're lovely.

Thank you for your. Of course. I'll take Buran around to any of the other Air Genasi so she can like talk to, like actually talk to people and not just have us talk at her. Is there anything anybody else wants to do on the island before you guys start shipping off? I think just sticking around with the, certainly helping put it, putting the boat together. So probably occasionally translating for, for anchor. Kenny's going to pretend to be doing something, but she's just like rolling up the same like

10 feet of rope and then dropping it and then picking it up and rolling it. Just like give her hand something to do. Rad. Oh, hey, hey, Kenny. Yeah. Just. You need something? Just wanted to tell you that anchor was really upset when I did or died or whatever.

And he. When Hamukepa ate me? Yes. Now he took it very hard. If he wanted me to tell you that, then he couldn't do it himself. He's saying it has to be strong for everyone. Anchor was sad to see you. And, um, well, he said, he told me, he said, don't, you don't have any choice to offer

you another contract. We're interested. So this is just me being a good. I can sign another contract and you can start healing me again. Yep. Captain's orders. Yes. You were interested.

Yeah, I'm totally interested. Sure. Show me where to sign. And she takes out a contract and there's a new clause that says second chance clause basically says that if you die, it gets you start over. It's like a redo. Oh, he's he like, you know, just does a bunch of scribbles that don't look in any way like a signature.

And then he like, he looks up at you and he clearly has like tears in his eyes. He's just like, thanks, Kenny. Great. Rips it in half. Cast mending gives you a copy. I think Rad would just watch Kenny walk away and then like return to his ship duties with Grapefri. I'll just try to get like some water or something if I can to pull up on the boat.

Yeah, it's easy enough for you to get to knock down some trees to take some lumber along with you. Just in case. Does anyone have alcohol? I don't got to maintain a sober mind so I can shoot straight alcohol. Is it? Does anyone have alcohol? Yeah, I think Rad would probably find the surly is looking sailor.

He can and be like, hey, you got a bottle of rum. The water genocies you talk to and stuff like that kind of nods and he kind of pulls out this little bottle. I'll get it right back to you. I'll just take it over to Anchor. He's like, he says, like, what as do you take it? And he's like calling after you as you run back to Anchor. Hand in his bottle.

So I'll take the bottle and I'll stand sort of at the or the head of the ship, right? And I'm looking to the others and I said, well, we should christen the ship. We should give it a name. The last one I named, we should name this one together. So the alcohol is for afterwards. I'll throw it at the ship. While they're doing that, I'm going to go pay the sailor that just got robbed. Does anyone have any ideas?

I liked the name for the first boat, but I'm open to suggestions for this new one. What was the name again? Of the first boat? The raft. No, dude. We need something flashier than that. What do you mean? That was perfect.

It was exactly what it was. You said something absolutely wild today that wasn't a real word. When you were talking to... Oh, um, what did I say? I said face budget. That's not good. I'm not saying to do a trick. It's okay, I'm down the way out of your shop paying the guy that just got his stopper off.

I called Fizz Barron. Okay, great. I got a friend who was going to just take me saying Fizz Fudget says, you know, like, time to go. Let's fuck shit up. If that's going to last longer than today, we probably should make it. Yeah, so that might be a little counter-intuitive, I think you're right. What about the FF?

The FF? The FF Barron. I like that. The SS... The SSFF. And then I just chuck the fucking bottle as hard as I can at the... Wait, no, we could drink that. No, we have to christen the ship.

Trick. That seems... Trick as you're handing the... Trick as you're handing the gold off to the guy. He sees Anchor just smash the bottle against the ship. He's like, longer, just like... He just, like, throws his arms up and he's just like, what are you doing? He's saying something in awkward.

Get him an extra gold. I'm almost certain we were supposed to drink all that. Only good first. That would have been nice. The SSFF. Is the FF stand on? Fizz Fudget. Fizz Fudget.

Oh, but we don't say that. Right. Okay. SSFF. Okay. All right. You christened your ship. You...

How much money did I give this guy? I mean, however much you wanted to give him. I'll be nice to him and give him two gold. All right. Yeah, he sees... He takes the two gold. He's like, bites on it. He's like...

He's more upset that he just threw the alcohol away, but... I was crisping the ship, goddammit. He doesn't understand that. It's a Sasanian thing, I swear. We put mayo on our sandwiches and we christened ships. That's the two things we do. We all hate the Sasanians. Why are we doing Sasanian things?

Looking at your map, you see that the next point would be Mero Point, and you see the word Vasu. You christen your ship, you gather your supplies, you charge your course to Walraven at Mero Point, and with the two other ships crewed with rain on one, and Trigg's best friend, the bear, and his weasel friend. Your small little fleet begins to leave the island of Galen and back out to open sea, and that's where we'll end tonight.

Woo! Yeah! We negotiate to get out of Walcazons today. I know! You